This is the 75th anniversary of MWA and that called for an especially big celebration of the Edgar Awards.

But as we all know, the Edgar week events, including the symposium and the awards banquet had to be canceled.

But the awards to celebrate the authors, their books, TV, etc., were not canceled. Just given in a different format.

This time on Twitter and YouTube in real time instead live in the room at the banquet.

MWA's handling of the Edgars should be a blueprint for other organizations.

By putting this on Twitter/YouTube, it also allowed the Edgar Awards to be open to anyone.

Whether a person has signed up for the banquet or not, they were allowed to particiapte.

That openness brought more of a sense of community to the event

And it also brought more attention to the books and the authors, hopefully inspiring more book buying.

Announced April 30, 2020, the virtual Edgar Awards made us all proud. I am sure this was not easy to pull off but the announcements were smoothly handled.

April 30 is the day the awards would have been announced anyway. Only instead of an evening gala with long dresses and tuxedoes, the awards’ announcement began around 11 a.m.

Now all the acceptance speeches are available on YouTube, and they are worth a listen.

All the finalists were asked to record an acceptance speech that would air after their category was announced.

As usual, the speeches were from the heart as authors thanked those who helped their career. The speeches may have been shorter this time because of technology.

Instead of glitz, the authors filmed from their homes or outside. Some had their dogs or cats in the videos, others did it solo.

Perhaps in many ways, these videos gave readers more insight to the authors.

Angie Kim, whose Miracle Creek took the Best First Novel by an American Author, talked about her Korean heritage and how her family helped her.

John Billheimer, whose Hitchcock and the Censors won best critical biography, told us how he came to writing late and thanked his wife for encouraging him to use his engineering background in his writing.

Elly Griffiths, who took best novel for The Stranger Diaries, mentioned how strong the mystery community is and how it will not be broken.

The videos also include a heartfelt tribute to Mary Higgins Clark, who died this year, with authors discussing how much her work, and the author herself, meant to them.

It was hard not to tear up as Sujata Massey, Charles Todd and Hank Phillippi Ryan paid their respects to Clark. The video also included an interview with the Queen of Suspense as she was often called.

Also bringing tears was the annual “In Memoriam” that showed those who have passed away. The video montage reminded us how these authors influenced the genre and our reading, and showed us how much we have missed with their passing. Some of the authors’ passings were a surprise to me. Rest In Peace.

We all hope that next year, we can celebrate the Edgar Awards in person. But this online ceremony and these videos remind us how important the genre is and why reading soothes us, even during a pandemic.

BEST FACT CRIME**The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity, by Axton Betz-Hamilton (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America, by Karen Abbott (Penguin Random House - Crown)American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century, by Maureen Callahan (Penguin Random House - Viking)Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History, by Peter Houlahan (Counterpoint Press)Indecent Advances: A Hidden History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall, by James Polchin (Counterpoint Press)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL**Hitchcock and the Censors, by John Billheimer (University Press of Kentucky)Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan, by Ursula Buchan (Bloomsbury Publishing)The Hooded Gunman: An Illustrated History of Collins Crime Club ,by John Curran (Collins Crime Club)Medieval Crime Fiction: A Critical Overview, by Anne McKendry (McFarland)The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women, by Mo Moulton (Hachette Book Group – Basic Books)

BEST SHORT STORY***“One of These Nights," from Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crimeby Women Writers, by Livia Llewellyn (Akashic Books)“Turistas," from Paque Tu Lo Sepas, by Hector Acosta (Down & Out Books)“The Passenger," from Sydney Noir, by Kirsten Tranter (Akashic Books)“Home at Last," from Die Behind the Wheel: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan, by Sam Wiebe (Down & Out Books)“Brother’s Keeper," from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, by Dave Zeltserman (Dell Magazine)